Button-carding machine



A. L. cuamlzm BUTTON CARDING MACHI NE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I4. 1916.

1 344,67 9. Patented June 29, 1920.

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BUTTON CARDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14 19I6.

1,344,679. Patented June 29, 1920.

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A. L. CURRIER.

BUTTON CARDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-14.1916.

Patented June 29, 1920.

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A. L. CURRIER.

BUTTON CARDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 191s.

, 1,344,679. Patented June 29, 1920.

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APPLICATION FILED MN. 14, I9l6.

1, 344,679 Patented June 29, 1920.

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A. L. CURRIER.

BUTTON CARDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-14,1916.

8 SHEETSSHEET 6- '1 344,679. te te une 29, 1920.

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A. L. CURR IER. BUTTON CARDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I4. 1916.

1,344, 679. Patented June 29, 1920.

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BUTTON CARDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 1916.

1 344,679, Patented June 29, 1920.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

5913 3 Z. Cwrvw'an UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR L. CURRIER, or NEWTON HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR-TO THE .J. W. MOORE MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION I v OLE MASSACHUSETTS.

nu'rron-cnnnms MACHINE.

Application 'filed January 14,1916. Serial No. 72,054.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ARTHUR Grumman, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Newton Highlands, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Button-carding Machines, :of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

M y present invention is an improved sewing machine, especially adapted to secure buttons to a card by means of stitching and also to card such buttons by the novel 'lorm oi stitch illustrated in my copending application Serial No. 866,783, filed October 15, 1914;, now Patent No. 1,260,519, dated March Among the objects of the inven tion are provided a machine which, will automatically, quickly and securely sew buttons-onto a card or, other article by means of thread; also to attach each button by means of a plurality of thread engaging parts distinguished. from a single thread holding loop; also to attach buttons having drilled holes therethrough by means of a stitch passing through ,a plurality of said drilled holes; to enable a spacing of the stitching from the buttons into different parts 05 the ai ticle'to which saidbuttons are being sewed; and to form each button holding stitch as a locked or firmly secured,

complete and independent stitch for each button. I carry out these and other novel features by means oi". a simple type of machine which will be economical to build, which will enable numerous adjustments in stitching, card holding or feeding operations, and which will include mechanism to automatically draw each stitch tight, hold and secure the ends of the thread consti with the front or working portion at the left; 7

Fig. 2 is a side view oi the machine with the front or working portion at the right;

F g. 3 is a plan view;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail. in plan view, of the button holding devices and worktable;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view. approxi mately on the longitudinal center of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views of the thread trimming knives;

Fig. 8 is an end view of certain parts of thestitch forming mechanism shown in Fig. 9;

.Fig. 9 being an enlarged view of a por tion of the worktable and stitch formin mechanism shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating the initial position of the machine in the Patented J l ne 29, 1920a Fig. 9, and showing different successive and consecutive steps in the formation oi? the stitch attaching a button and button card together;

Figs. 19, 20 and 21. are atop plan view,

cross sectional view and'bottom view respcctively of one form of stitch uniting the button and card;

Figs. 22, 23 and 2d are a top plan, cross sectional and bottom plan views of a modified form of the stitch; and

' Figs. 25, QG-and 27 are top plan. cross sectional and bottom plan views respectively of :a further modified form of the button carding stitch.

hile I havefherein illustrated my mas chine as adapted to secure only a single button at a time onto an article, I contemplate the duplication of the button stitching mechanism and card and button holding devices so as-to stitch, simultaneously, a plurality oi buttons onto a card. Thus I contemplate attachmentof an entire row of buttons toan article, as a button card, at the same time, as the attachment of a single button in the machine of the drawings, My present invention is especially adapted for the work of carding buttons, to attach a set, number or series of buttons to a card. My machine produces a relative feeding movement between the button and card holding devices and the stitch forming mechanism. Preferably one of said devices is stationary while the other moves and in the n'eferred form as herein illustrated, I have shown the button and card holding devices as movable and the stitching devices as stationary. V A. plurality of these machines arranged adpcent each other could sulvantageously be employed to attach a similar plurality of buttons to a card simultaneously. Numerous other changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, but my machine, so far as I am aware, is the first to set and draw a stitch fori ed of a plurality of parts and with each end locked in a separate loop, so that the two articles ar tightly united.

As shown in the drawings, my present machine is of compact form and is preferably made as a small bench machine, having a base 1 carrying at its rear portion a vertical standard 2 upon which is an overhanging arm 3 to carry a needle bar 4 and thread holding mechanism. Supporting standards and 6 having suitable journal bearings for the main or cam shaft 7 extending through the standard 2 and carrying suitable cams on each side of said shaft, a driving pulley 8 being secured to one end of said shaft. The mechanism to operate the needle bar 4, which needle bar is adapted to reciprocate vertically in a slideway 9 at the front of the arm 3, comprises the lever 10, mounted at the bolt 11 in the upper part of the standard 2, said lever 10 having its forward end fitted within a recess in the needle bar 4, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, to move said needle bar upwardly and downwardly in its slideway. The lever 10 has its rearwardly extending arm 13 provided with a roll 14 adapted to engage a cam 15 mounted on the cam shaft 7 a spring 16 having one end attached to the arm 13 and its other end held by a stud 17 on the standard 2 acts to hold the roll 14 in engagement with its cam. Preferably this lever and cam are arranged on that side of the machine illustrated in F l. Rotation of the cam 15 oscillates the needle bar lever and reciprocates the needle bar 4 a plurality of times as indicated approximately by the parts 18, 19, 20 and 21 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, during a single rotation of the cam shaft 7. Preferably I have the entire button stitching operations performed during a sin gle cycle of said cam shaft. The needle 22 is adjustably secured to the needle bar 4 through the guide and block 23 in a customary manner. I also provide the usual thread holding and tension devices, consisting in the spindle 24 for the spool of thread 25, from which the thread 26 is led under the adjustable tension spring 27, and thence through the guides 28, 29, 30 and 31 to the block 23 and the needle. The guide 30 is carried at the end of the thread take-up lever 32, also pivoted on the bolt 11 and with its lower arm 33 carrying a roll 34 adapted to engage the cam wheel 35 (see Fig. 1), the spring 36 holding said lever with its cam roll and wheel in engagement. ()n the cam shaft 7 between the needle bar and take-up lever cams already described I afiix a third cam 37 adapted to engage a roll carried by the slide 38, said slide being mounted for horizontal reciprocation in a slideway 39 above the work table, the for ward portion of said slide 38 extending forwardly and upwardly as shown at 40 to engage the bar 41 carrying a foot 42 to engage and tighten one of the thread loops, as will be explained. This bar is adjustably secured in a rockshaft 43, said shaft extending through a bracket 44, and the depending arm 45 carried. at the front of the overhanging arm 3. This rockshaft carries on its opposite end a lever 46 (see Fig. 2), which lever is normally held by a coil spring 47 in a. position to oscillate the rockshaft 43 and move the foot 42 forwardly or to the left, viewing F 1, the slide 38 and ram 37 operating to allow said foot to move forwardly or to the left, viewing Fig. 1, to engage and tighten one of the loops of the stitch to be described. A. coiled spring 48 having a greater tension than coil spring 47 is also arranged to move the slide 38 rearwardly to hold the roll on the end of said slide in engagement with its cam 37, and at the same time control the movement of the le er 46, said spring 48 being secured at one end to a pin on the slideway 39 and at its other end to a post 49 on the slide 38.

In my present machine I show a simple form of mechanism for carrying and retracting the button and button. card, moving the same in unison a. predetermined. distance to permitthe needle to penetrate different drilled holes in the button and at different points inthe button card. A button 50 and a. button car-fl 51. are held in a movable rier relatively to the needle bar 4 and its needle 22 as shown in the machine of the drawings. The button and card carrier comprises the plate 52 adapted to receive the button card 51, said plate being secured to the carrier pivotally mounted at 54.

on a link 55, said link having its lower end pivotally mounted at 56 in a bracket 57 secured to the base 1. The carrier 53 is thus pivotally supported by the link and receives a to and fro rocking motion by the movement of said link, the latter being effected through the action of the cam 58 on a roll carried on a lever 60, which lever is pivotally secured at 61 to the base 1 and at 62 is connected with the rod 63 having its other end pivotally connected to the lever 55 at 64. The rod 63 may comprise two parts and an intermediate turnbuckle having a leftand right-handed thread therein for adjustments, substantially as illustrated in the drawings, and a further adjustment of the connection 62 on the lever 60 may be secured if desired to conveniently regulate the timing andmovements of the carrier. A spring 65 having one end secured to a post 66 rigid with the base 1 and its other end engaging a pin 67 on the link 55 acts to normally move the carrier 53 forwardly and to hold the lever 60 and its roll 59 in engagement with its cam 58.

The carrier 53 also actuates-the button holders which are carried on the pivoted support 68, said support being held by screws 69 passing through an axle 70 mounted in supports 71 and 72 at the rear of the carrier 53. This support 68. also holds the slideway 39,, screws securing same. This support 68' extends forwardly over the plate 52 and at its forward end carries an upstanding vertically extending bracket 74- secured to the support 68 by a depending stem 75- and a nut 76 (see Fig. 5). The bracket 71- is adapted to be pivotally connected to the lever 77 by the pin 78, one end of said lever being united at 79 to the lower portion of a link 80, which link has its up per portion pivoted at 81, to the bracket depending from the arm 3. At the opposite end of the lever 77 is a perforation 82 adapted to receive the shank of a headed bolt 9 -1, said shank being of less diameter than that of. the perforation 82 and the bolt carrying a collar 84 sullicient in circumference to bear upon the lever 7 7 around. the perforation 2-32.

This bolt 83 is threaded into a corresponding tapped aperture in the support 68 as shown at 85, Fig. 5. Rotation of the bolt 63 this justs the link connection thus described from thesupport 68 through the bracket 7-1- and levers 77 and so as to regulatetbe height and the to and fro. reciprocation of the support 68 imparted to it by the movements of the carrier This support 68 carries the slide 39 and also the button clamping arms 86 and 87 which are pivoted to said. support at their rearmost ends, 86 and 89 respectively. I form the inner ends of the arms 86 and 87 with segments of gear teeth 90 which mesh with the bolts 88 and 89 as centers, and ailix to one arm 86 a handle 91 so that movement of the handle 91 serves to move both arms 86 and 87 in unison, opening the clamp ends to permit insertion oi: the button 50. A spring 92 yieldingly holds these arms 86 and. S7 in button-clamping position, said spring having its opposite ends attached to studs 93, 93, on said arms. Yielding springs 94, 94-, secured at 95, 95, on the lower "Jart of the support 68 are adapted. to extend downwardly into engagement with the top'of the plate 52 and to permitthe button card 51 to he slid thereunder and thus yieldingly held on top of the plate by the friction err gagement of the springs 94C, 9 1.

At the forward end of the base 1 is a standard 96 carried by the frame 1, and parallel therewith and adjacent thereto is a second standard 97 adapted to receive shaft bearings to carry and actuate certain of the stitch forming instrumentalities to be described. Bolts 98, and 99 at either end of these standards 96 and 97 hold the same firmly and rigidly in alinement. The worktable .100 on top of the standard 96 has a central aperture through. which the needle 22 passes to engage the lower stitch forming instrumentalities below the worktable 100. I prefer to support the button 50 and button card 51 above this stitching aperture by extending to the plate 52 a perforated portion of plate 101 adapted to slide on top of the worktable during the reciprocating movements of the carrier 53, already explained. I

The stitch forming devices to coiiperate with the needle 22 carrying the thread 26 are all arranged to operate below the worktable 100, with the exception of the tension devices and the foot 412, which is actuated to ti hten one of the loops during the stitch forming operation. These devices include a hook member 102 having a hook 103 at its upper end and pivotally mounted on the rockshaft 104 at its lower end and the nipper member 105 mounted on the rockshai't 106, together with means to actuate them. The rockshaft 104 carrying the hook member extends through the standards 96 and 97 to the opposite side of the latter (see Figs. 2 and 3), to which a short crank 107 is secured, said crank having its upper end pivoted at 108 to a connecting rod 109, which rod has its other end pivoted at 110 to the lever 111, said lever carrying a roll 112 at its upper end in engagement with the cam 113. A spring 114- attached at one end to a post 115 on the base 1 and at its other end to the lever 111-, said lever being pivoted at 116 in a boss on the base 1, acts to keep the roll 112in'engagement with its cam 113. Rotation of the cam 1'13 and movement of the rod 109 oscillates the rockshaft 10 1 to move the hook member 102 appro priately in the formation of the stitch. The nipper 105 is slotted at its upper end and the extreme end' portion is formed with the hook member 117 with a groove 118 therein adapted to separate a thread loop caught by the hook 117 during the operation or the mechanism. In the slotted portion 119 of thenipper is pivotally mounted a nipper aw 120 on the pin 121. This nipper jaw has a rearwardly extending part 122 and a spring 123 (see dotted lines Fig. 9) normally acting to rock the nipper jaw 120 on its pivot and move the same into closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 11. The aw 120 has a projecting lug 124 adapted to be engaged at appropriate times by the arms 125 and 126 of a lever mounted on a rockshaft 127, as will be explained. The nipper jaw 120 has a hook 128 formed on the back or outer side of the iaw adapted to catch a thread loop during the formation of the stitch. A ridge or guide 129 on the back of the nipper is provided to engage the hook 102, as will be described. The nipper 105 is oscillated through actuation of the rockshaft 106, said shaft extending through the two bearings in the standards 96 and 97, a short crank 130 (see Figs. 2 and 3) being aflixed on the other end of the shaft from that carrying the nipper 105. A connecting rod 131 with one end pivoted to said crank at 132 has its other end pivotally connected to a lever 133, said. lever being pivoted on the stud 116 and carrying a roll 134 at its upper end to contact with a cam 135. A spring (not shown) similar to the spring 114, is arranged to hold the lever 133 with its roll in contact with the cam. Rotation of the cam shaft 7 and cam 135 oscillates the rovkshaft 106 in a plurality and variety of oscillations determined by the shape of the cam, said movements being hereafter described in connection with the stitch formation. The rockshaft 127 carrying the arms 125 and 126 to cooperate with the nipper aw 128 is actuated by the crank 136, connecting rod 137, lever 138 and cam 139, a spring also being provided (not shown) to hold. the lever 138 in engagement with its cam.

I provide mechanism which will automatically cut or trim the thread ends at each side of the stitch, this mechanism comprising a plurality of shearing knives and means to actuate them at appropriate intervals during the stitch formation, see Fig. Mounted on the standard 96 and adjacent the recess in the worktable 100 is the knife holder 140, including side flanges 141 and 142, each with respective recesses 143 and 144 near the upper portion to receive the hook and nipper jaws during their movements. Adapted to slide on the inner surface of the flange 141 is a shearing knife 146 having a cutting edge 147. This slide has an aperture 148 to receive a pin 149 carried by the rockshaft 150 in a collar 151. Oscillation of the rockshaft moves the pin into and out of engagement with the aperture 148 in the knife moving same upwardly and downwardly at appropriate intervals. The knife 152 arranged to slide on the inner face of the other flange 148 is similarly actuated, an aperture 153 being therein provided to be engaged by a second pin 154 on said collar 151. To hold these two knives yieldingly in their respective slideways I provide a pair of tubular members 155 and 156 with a spring 157 therebetwee-n, as

clearly shown in Fig. 5, the spring acting to yieldingly retain said knives either in lowered or upward position by the frictional resistance and tension caused by the spring 157 while permitting the same to be freely moved by the pins 149 and 154. I utilize the edge of the worktable 100 at either end of the recess through which the needle 22 passes, as the cooperating shearing members for the knives 146 and 152, said edges being beveled as indicated at 158. Oscillation of the rockshaft 150 is effected at appropriate times to alternately move first the knife 146 upwardly and then the knife 152, to shear oil or cut the thread ends and subsequently to retract said knives. T o oscillate the rockshaft 150, which shaft extends through the standards 96 and 97, a crank 160 is aflixed to the other end and pivoted to a connecting rod 161 having its other end pivoted to the lever 162 also mounted on the stud 116,

which lever carries a roll 163 in engagement with the cam 164. Rotation of the cam shaft 7 and cam 164 oscillates the connect ing rod 16] and rockshaft 150, a spring (not shown) holding the lever 162 with its roll 163 in engagement with the cam 164 similar to the action of the spring 114. Several of such springs have been omitted for the sake of 'clearness in the drawing.

The operation of the stitch forming mechanism, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 9 to 18 inclusive, will now be described, it being understood that the cams are so formed as to actuate their respective devices, to produce the stitch as shown in the drawings. A button card 51 having been positioned on the plate 52 and a drilled button 50 having a plurality of holes 165 therein, is fitted and clamped between the arms 86 and 87, the handle 91 being moved to open the clamping arms when the operator positions the button therebetween. The button engaging portions of the arms 86 and 87 may be V- shaped or recessed somewhat as indicated in dotted lines at 166 (Fig. 4) and the button is placed and held with two of the holes 165 in position with the line of feed of the carrier 53 and directly over the holes 167 in the throat or continuation 101 of the plate 52, see Fig. 5. The machine having been left threaded from the previous button at taching operation, will have the needle 22 approximately as shown in Fig. 9, or in raised position. Actuation of the driving pulley 8 and rotation of the cam shaft 7 first moves the needle 22 downwardly tin-(nigh the first hole 165 in the button 50, penetrating the button card 51 and extending well below the card, being slightly retracted and thus forming a loop in the thread 26 as indicated at 168, Fig. 10. The nipper 105 is moved forwardly into this loop 168 and the thread is caught in the hook 117 of the nipper as the needle 22 is retracted. During the forward movement of the nipper 105 the nipper jaw 120 is opened byengagement of the arm 125 on the projecting lug 124, thus permitting the thread being held by the nipper jaw 120 thereon, through action of its spring 123, and the nipper retracted slightly, as shown in Fig. 11. The button 50 and button card are now fed forwardly a sufficient distance, depending on the spacing between the drilled holes 165 in the buttons so as to bring the second hole 165 under the needle 122 which is again moved downwardly, penetrating the card 51 and extending down below the paths of travel of the nipper 105 and hook 102 and then said needle is retracted slightly to form a second thread loop 169, Fig. 12. The nipper 105 is then oscillated to move forwardly, still retaining the first mentioned loop engaged by the nipper 120, while both nipper and nipper jaw are moved into the loop 169 just made. Simultaneously the hook 102 is oscillated, also passing through the thread loop 169, the hook member engaging the ridge or guide 129 on the back of the nipper, which ridge or guide is slightly wedgeshaped, to force the hook 103 to the front, viewing the drawings, Fig. 12, so that it will surely engage the loose end portion of the thread 26 during theretractive movement of the hook, the other portion of the thread being at the back of the nipper. The needle 22 is then withdrawn and the nipper 105 and hook 102 are also withdrawn, the hook part 103 meanwhile engaging and drawing through the free end of the thread 26, which is thus caught within the second loop 169, the nipper jaw having released the firstmentioned loop 168 with the pulling out of the hook 102, as shown in Fig. 13. The knife 152 is then moved upwardlyto shear, sever or trim the loose end of the thread 26, said thread end being engaged and caught by the loop 169 as the latter is drawn upwardly by the needle. .During this action the thread is held under tension and prevented from being drawn out from the spool 25, by a lever 170, adapted to be engaged by an adjustable stud 171 carried on the needle bar 10, see Fig. 1, said lever being mounted at 172 on a bracket with its other end engaging a stem 173 attached to the thread tension device 27. A spring 174 normally holds the lever 170 downwardlywith only the normal tension on the thread. At appropriate times it is desired to entirely stop the drawing out of the thread to permit the setting of the stitch and actuation thereof just described is timed for these purposes. After one loose end of the thread is thus caught, as shown in Fig. 13, the button and card are retracted to permit the next downward movement of the needle 22 passing through the first hole 165, and then slightly retracted to form the th1rd loop 17 5, through which the nipper 105 is moved, as shown in Fig. 14. The needle 22 is then retractedand the nipper 105 drawn backwardly and the nipper jaw 120 opened by the lever arm 125 so that the hook 128 on the back of the nipper jaw will catch this thirdthread loop 175 and draw the same backwardly. The button and card are then again ted forwardly and the tension foot 42 swung forwardly by its spring '47 being released by the slide 38 being moved forwardly by its cam 37 so as to catch the thread '26 and make a loop 176 on top of the button, the needle 22 moving through the rearmost hole 165 in the button and again slightly retracting to make the next loop 177 through which the nipper 105, already carrying the loop 175, is moved. The mechanism is now as illustrated in Fig. 16, with the nipper passing through two thread loops, the last formed loop being caught within the nipper hook 117 by the nipper jaw 120 being held; open by the arm-125, which is of sufiicient length to engage the lug 124 thereon during these oscillating movements of the nipper. Retraction of the needle 22 and nipper 105 serves to pull the thread loop .177 through the thread loop 175, as shown in Fig. 17, the thread part of loop 177 finding its: way in the groove 118 as the nipper draws backwardly. While in this position the cutter 146 is moved upwardly, its point 147 separating the thread loop portions at either side of the nipper hook 117 but does not out until the thread is pulled tight, then the cutting surface 147 shears off the thread against the corresponding edge 158 in the 'worktable 100, as shown in Fig. 17. During this action the foot 42 is moved to hold, tighten and set the stitch while the needle is further retracted, thus drawing and tightening the entire stitch loops, the foot 42 moving backward and releasing its thread loop 176 to permit such tightening of the thread, as shown in Fig. 18. T hereupon the cutting operation takes place. The button holding stitch is now completed with three thread parts passing witheach end of the thread caught and locked by a thread loop and said ends trimmed oil, producing the stitch shown in F 20 and described in my said copending application. Successive buttons are similarly atlixcd or rows of buttons may be made simultaneously by duplicating one or more times the stitch mechanism, as previously mentioned. In Figs. 22, 23 and 24 I have illustrated a slight modification made by moving the button and card slightly to the left during the stitching operation to make a plurality of holes 180 in the card for greater holding security where the card is thin or where the holes 165 in the button 50 are drilled closely. This slight movement to the left spaces the stitching ing the card and thus spreading the stitch holding portions on the card which are led through the two holes of the button through which the stitch is formed.

in Figs. 25, 26 and 27 a further modification is illustrated effected by moving the button and card slightly to the right during the stitching operation, making a similar plurality of holes 180 through the button card and also catching the extreme end of the thread under one of the loops as illustrated in Fig. 27 thus giving a neat finish thereto.

l have purposely shown and described the support and work table 100 as of a width suniciently narrow to enable this part of the mechanism to be duplicated for setting a plurality of stitches simultaneously. The width of the work table 100 is preferably as narrow as the distance between successive buttons in the smallest size which would be carded by the machine. The duplication of the stitch-forming mechanism is readily effected by arranging a plurality of the standards 96 with a plurality of sets of nippers, hooks, cutters, etc., with each standard, each of said devices being mounted on the same rockshafts carrying the corresponding memher in the machine herein illustrated. Thus in stitching three buttons simultaneously in a row three standards 96 could be provided, three nippers 105 carried by the same rock shaft 106 at appropriate intervals, would be arranged, and similarly three hooks 102 all carried by the rockshaft 104; would be arranged and each stitch thus formed in identically the same manner and through the actuation of a single cam and connecting rod imparting movement to the respective rockshafts. r-idjustments for different sized buttons and drilled holes in each button is easily effected by the adjustment of the turnbuckle in the rod 63, as already explained.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. A sewing machine of the class described, comprising a single thread stitch forming mechanism, work holding mechanism, means to effect a relative feeding.

movement between the stitch forming and work holding mechanisms and means to actuate said mechanisms in a cycle to form an individually locked stitch comprising a plurality of loops formed with the opposite end portions of the thread passing through separate loops and locked thereby between the encircling loop and the work.

2. A sewing machine of the class de scribed, adapted to card buttons by a single thread, comprising button and card holding mechanism, stitch forming mechanism, means to effect relativefeeding movement between the stitch forming and button and card holding mechanisms to permit the stitch to engage a plurality of drilled holes in the button, and means to actuate the holding and stitch forming mechanisms to automatically attach said button and card together by a stitch formed of a plurality of thread parts with each end locked in separate loops of the button carding stitch.

3. A sewing machine of the class described, adapted to card buttons by a single thread, comprising button and card holding mechanism, stitch forming mechanism, thread cutting mechanism, means to effect relative feeding movement between the stitch forming and button and card hold ing mechanisms to permit the stitch to en gage a plurality of drilled holes in the but ton, means to actuate the holding and stitch forming mechanisms to automatically attach said button and card together by a stitch formed of a plurality of thread parts with each end locked in a loop of the button carding stitch, and means to actuate the thread cutting mechanism to trim each end of the thread.

4. Stitch forming mechanism comprising a needle, a holder for supporting stock in line with the needle movements, a nipper and a hook arranged on the other side of said stock from the normal position of the needle, means to actuate a threaded needle to penetrate the stock and form a loop in the thread, means to move the nipper into said loop, means to retract said needle and feed the stock,permitting the needle to again penetrate said stock at a spaced point from its first movement, means to again feed said stock relatively with the needle in line with the first needle movement, means for a further feeding of said stock and to cause the needle to penetrate the stock a fourth time, in combination with mechanism to actuate the nipper and hook whereby each free end of the thread forming the stitch is engaged by a separate one of the loops formed by said needle after it has moved through the stock.

5. Stitch forming mechanism, comprising a needle, a holder to support stock in the line of movement of said needle, a nipper having a plurality of thread engaging dc vices thereon, a hook, and thread cutters, in combination with mechanism to actuate the stock and said devices whereby the threaded needle will penetrate the stock four times at spaced points, cooperating with movements of the nipper, hook and cutters to form a locked stitch in the stock comprising three thread parts with the ends of the thread locked in loops of said thread stitch.

6. Stitch forming mechanism of the kind described, comprising a needle adapted to penetrate stock and lead thread through said stock and retract it to form a loop in the thread, a nipper adapted to be moved through the thread loop so formed, a hook adapted for movement through said thread loop and means on the nipper to guide the movement of said hook whereby a predetermined side of the thread loop will be en gaged by the hook.

7 A sewing machine of the class described, adapted to card buttons by a single thread, comprising button and card holding mechanism, stitch forming mechanism, means to efi'ect relative feeding movement between the stitch forming and button and card holding mechanisms to permit the stitch to engage a plurality of drilled holes in the button in succession, means to actuate the holding and stitch forming mechanisms to automatically attach said button and card together by a stitch formed of a plurality of thread parts with each end of the thread used in forming the stitch locked in a sepa rate loop thereof, and means for successively trimming each end of the thread.

8. In a stitch forming mechanism, the combination of a reciprocable needle, a nipper having a plurality of thread engaging devices thereon, means for moving the point thereof into engagement with the 'loop formed by the thread on the downward movement of the needle, said means retaining the nipper in operative relation with the needle while the needle makes a second loop, a hook cooperating with said nipper to lock'the free end of the thread in the second loop formed by the needle, and means for trimming the free end of the thread close to said second loop.

9. In a stitch forming mechanism, the combination of means for forming a plurality of loops in succession in a single thread, means for looking the free end of the thread to the second loop formed, and means vfor locking the other end of the thread to the alternate loop, whereby each end of the length of thread used in forming a stitch is locked to a separate loop.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ARTHUR L. CURRIER.

IVitnesses HENRY W. A. J OHNSON, PLUMMER C. SPRING. 

